- 3 



Hive-entrance inserts can be used to furnish poTlenizer 

 pollen for foraging bees to distribute. 



The complications, limitations, and inconvenience 

 first three alternatives seem obvious. The fourth sug 

 be new to many of you. The hive-entrance insert is a 

 forces outgoing forager bees to walk through a pan or 

 taining live compatible pollen. The pollen is picked 

 body hairs of the bee and carried to the blossoms of t 

 visited by the bees. Several versions of this device 

 used over the years with varying degrees of success, 

 latest modifications have solved some crucial pollinat 

 Therefore, for those of you who are interested in the 

 list some pertinent sources of information at the end 

 per. 



s of the 

 gestion may 

 device that 

 trough con- 

 up by the 

 he trees 

 have been 

 However, the 

 ion problems 

 detai Is , I 

 of this pa- 



Once the availability 

 sured, the grower needs to 

 nate the pollen. 

 air, but wind has 

 tion. Therefore, 

 1 i nations . 



of a suitable supply of pollen is as- 

 consider the agents that will dissemi- 

 Apple pollen has been found moving through the 

 proved to be a negligible agent in its distribu- 

 insects remain the only important agents of pol- 



When orchards are relatively small and near much uncultivated 

 land, wild species of bees may still be important pollinators. 

 However, in most commercial plantings, native species cannot be 

 relied upon because their numbers fluctuate widely from year to 

 year. Also, their natural habitats are being reduced as culti- 

 vated acreage increases, which has created a long-term downward 

 trend in population. 



Commercial orchardists must therefore almost invariably rely 

 on honey bees for adequate pollen dispersal, and they usually do 

 this by renting colonies from beekeepers for the period of bloom. 

 The customary recommendation for orchards of mature standard trees 

 is that at least 1, but preferably 2, colonies per acre be brought 

 into the orchard at the time of 10 to 25% bloom. These colonies 

 should be distributed in groups of 5 to 15 with the intervals be- 

 tween groups about 400 feet, starting about 150 feet from the edges 

 of the orchard. Protection from wind should be provided if possi- 

 ble, and morning sun should reach the colonies to encourage early 

 flight. 



The same recommendations hold good for high density orchards. 

 Bees tend to forage close to their hives, particularly in cool or 

 windy weather, and interaction between foraging bees from differ- 

 ent groups tends to crowd the bees closer to their hives. There- 

 fore, groups of 5 to 15 colonies should be spaced evenly through- 

 out the orchard to insure better distribution of pollinating for- 

 agers, especially during periods of poor weather. 



